Virgin is billing the service as an unlimited data and texting plan with 300 voice minutes. There are a few caveats though. Unlimited means 2.5 GB of CDMA or LTE data each month, after which your speeds are throttled down. Also the $30 plan requires you to sign up for Virgin’s Auto Pay service, which automatically charges your monthly bill to a credit card, debit card or PayPal account.

Unlike other carriers, which try to differentiate their plans based on the size of your data bucket, Virgin differentiates via voice. If you want more than 300 voice minutes, you’ll have to pay significant premiums: $10 more for 1200 minutes and $20 more for unlimited talk . But if you don’t talk on the phone much, this is one of the cheapest plans in the business. Virgin is even sweetening the pot by offering a $100 discount off the unsubsidized cost of the iPhone 5 — $550 may still seem high to a budget buyers, but it’s better than $650 or more.

It’s no coincidence we’re starting a bunch of iPhone 5 deals right about now. Best Buy today kicked off a trade-in program for iPhone 4 or 4S models, which gives customers a $150 discount on a new iPhone 5. Apple is set to launch its newest iPhone this fall (whether it’s named the 5S, 6, or something else), so it’s maximizing sales of soon-to-be-previous-generation smartphones while it can.